Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

a) when shutting off the blower (for the day, not the season), first turn off the gas so the gas in the carb is expended?

b) if no primer bulb, when starting, do anything other than placing throttle on high and opening the choke?

Thanx.

(BTW, 2 - 3 inches in boston which i moved     (easily) w/ the jacobsen snowburst as i flooded the toro 826.)

Hi Solara,

As a habit, after every time I've finished with the blower, I shut off the fuel valve and allow the blower to expend whatever is left in the bowl of the carb.  I really think it's good practice, but everyone is different.  It really isn't an inconvenience to me because I always allow the machine to run for a short while anyway, which is supposed to be good for a snowblower anyway.  As for starting your machine, unless it is an older snowblower, prior to the EPA mandating these lean carbs, I'd try not throttling it up to the maximum position.  If you don't have the instruction manual as a guide, I'd experiment with it to see where the sweet spot is.  Hope this helps. 

I don't turn off my fuel valve until the engine is shut down after a 2 minute cool down. But I _always_ use Stabil so I don't have any worries about carburetor deposits.

I don't like to let the engine run full rpm until it has warmed up a minute or two. I think it is a bit hard on the internal parts. (Your car doesn't race at 3600 rpm when you first start it.)  I usually go full choke and 1/2 throttle; then immediately 1/2 choke and throttle back to a fast idle for a while. I rarely need to use the primer since I don't let the carb run dry.

Every machine is different. Experiment and do what seems to work for you.

John

I usually pull the starter rope to the first little resistance.  Then pull a full stroke to start the engine.  They say that you get the most pulling power that way.  Sometimes I catch myself just taking the rope and forgetting. 

Hi...

I do not shut the fuel valve off... it is he best thing to do though... I should start doing this...
Two weeks ago I noticed the plastic fuel filter was broke and dripping fuel... !
My machine stays outside under a roof... and not in/near the house...

I would not run the carb dry... and for starting... I use 1/4-1/2 throttle to start then ease it to an idle for a few minutes... then gradually increase the RPM...


Dave...

Whenever I use the fuel shut-off vlave I forget about it and wonder why it won't start nex time.  I just pull the "key" out.  No problems yet.

LL

I do like Dave In CT also.  Don't want to let the machine run at high RPM's when it's cold out. 

On my snowblower, I do whatever I can to make it start. When I'm done, I slow it down and turn it off. Before use I always check the oil and smell the dipstick.

On my mower I start Full throttle Full choke. And idle down very quickly once it starts. It only has one lever. It needs to be full up to choke. It has pressure lube. I do shut off the fuel and let it idle for a few seconds before turning it off, mostly because it is one of those Kohlers that will backfire shutdown hot.

I don't go along with the car analogy. First, some cars do idle very high when first started with no noticable effects. Second, no car engine I have ever seen depends on an oil slinger  as it's sole source of oil distribution.

My riders:

To start, I choke at full throttle for the same reason Rob does, then go to idle. To turn it off, I idle down for 15-30 seconds, turn off the key and close the vent cap, done.

Haven't run it dry after a snow blowing session, as I have Bobby_Ps Pri-G in it and it is so cold that I'm not worried about fuel deterioration or carb gumming.

Only have a single throttle control which when in choke position sets the throttle to high speed. When I come off choke she'll be at full speed, so I'll put the throttle back to low, and warm up the hydrostatic drive before backing it out of the garage.

Summer engines I run dry as part of the shutdown, even though they have stabilizer in them.

My garage is above 32degrees,but I Still leat it warm up before hittin'  the snow.  

For cool down I-lower the RPM

                             shut off gas

                            sweep the snow off with long handled broom

                            then drive into garage before gas runs out in carberator

                            shut off

                            smile that I own a snowthower. 

                                                                                                                18Degrees

           

i use stabil in all my gas and do not run the carbs dry, ever.  Something about dry gaskets over the winter/summer storage season doesn't sit well with me.  Because there is stabalizer in there, i don't worry bout gum deposits.  With that said, I DO drain the gas tank to almost empty and move the gas from the machine being stored to the machine coming out of storage.  With the SB i choke full, throttle full(just like the OM says to) and lstart.  I let it run on full/full

I was talking with a local repair guy, and he said he tried running a tractor dry one time and it ruined the fuel pump.  Apparently that was his first tank that he had ran dry.  He'll never do it again, and I don't blame him.

Choke

full throttle

prime................not nessisarily in that order....

pull.Wait  30 seconds,turn choke off.Sometimes I half throttle for a bit.